DeKALB | The Late Night Ride Service helps keep NIU students safe, though non-student DeKalb residents can use the service as well.

The nightly service, available from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., receives an estimated 900 or so riders a week, and each year the weekly number rises.

The service, run by the University Police since 2001, was designed for people who don’t feel safe driving. The service is meant to be used for people who encounter car problems, people who feel unsafe in a certain location or are intoxicated. The service ultimately aims to prevent unsafe driving.

“It’s a late-night alternative for safe transportation,” said Lt. Matthew Kiederlen of the UP. “It’s for the safety of the community.”

Average wait times for the service, which runs seven days a week, varies depending on the day of the week, but generally there is a one- to two-hour wait on weekend nights.

Some students, like sophomore undecided major Christa McGlynn who uses the service about once a week, complain the lengthy wait periods result from non-students taking the bus.

“I don’t think it’s right if there’s a long wait because of non-students,” she said.

The Late Night Ride Service takes riders virtually wherever they want to go in the DeKalb area, depending on how busy the night is – meaning a student could use the service to go to Wal-Mart, but not on a busy evening.

The funding for the NIU security guard drivers, the fuel and the cost of the vans comes primarily from the university’s general revenue funds, but the Student Association and student fees cover “only a small amount,” Kiederlen said.

“By non-students taking advantage of a student service, it jeopardizes students’ safety,” said Brian Earl, a sophomore pre-communication studies major.